Friends,
I have some bitter sweet news to convey. Jeff Mercer has accepted a full-time music position at the River Church in Redlands and therefore will no longer be able to continue with Redeemer as our Lead Musician.
This is bitter news since the Mercer family has been a beloved part of the Redeemer family for the last seven years. During these years Jeff has led our church in singing God’s praise; his musical gifts have been a vital part of our worship.
With that said, this is also sweet news. Jeff’s long-term vocational aspiration has been to be in full-time music ministry. This new position, which is close to his home, allows Jeff to use his gifts to serve Christ in this capacity. Jeff and I have been in dialogue for the last few months as this opportunity developed. We planned to speak with you, the church, face to face in a town hall meeting, but with the recent Coronavirus developments that hasn’t been possible. I wanted to tell you about this without delay and to let you hear from Jeff directly (see his attached letter).
Going forward, I encourage all of you to reach out to the Mercers and express your love and gratitude personally. The Mercers plan to continue to visit Redeemer from time to time, as their schedule allows, so this is not “goodbye forever” as much as “we’ll see you again before too long, dear friends.” Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.
Godspeed,
Pastor Josh